A Mortal Failing: The True Story of Ebony
by Her Eternal Grimoire
Summary: Trying to make up for nasty prank, Raven makes a potion that allows Tara to live out her fantasies as she sleeps. When Tara adds her own ingredients and slips it into the Pumpkin Juice for the entire school, it's up to Raven to set things right, before the entire world is upside down forever.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note.: _

_This is a fanfiction based on Tara's infamous fanfiction "My Immortal." For those of you who are not familiar, type into your search engine "worst fanfic ever" or "worst fanfiction ever." To those familiar, enjoy!_

_This fic is _not _a set of comments or summary on the events of My Immortal though they will crossover in their own way eventually. _

_This is the story of one good deed gone horribly wrong and the girl who tries to save life as she knows it. I do not own or claim My Immortal characters (no matter how different from their original format they are) and names have been altered slightly (Tara and Raven). Also, if I need add now, I obviously don't own Harry Potter characters either, cannon or immortalized._

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**Chapter One**

Before the Halloween of our fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I wasn't sure if my friend (read stalker) Tara Smith was all there. After that, I was certain of it. But let me back up.

"I so wish I had your name: Raven, so awesome. I mean, Harrison is pretty boring, but Raven, is so cool!" Tara said. I wasn't sure why after five years she felt the need to mention this Every. Damn. Year. But that was Tara and I was used to her.

"Mmm…" I responded, barely listening, my eyes firmly planted on the words in front of me.

If it weren't for the advanced Transfiguration I'd bought a few weeks back, I'd probably be wanting to curse myself into deafness, and maybe blindness too. I didn't think Tara was awful, just terribly annoying and not very bright. Half-way through our first year at Hogwarts I had stopped some older Ravenclaws from picking on her for being, well, exceptionally annoying. I don't feel bad for stopping the bullies, I just wish it hadn't had the effect of raising me to something just shy of idol-worship in her eyes.

"Look at this, this is so cool right?" Tara asked, her high-pitched voice ringing too clear as she thrust some muggle-picture in front of my face.

I counted to five in my head, trying to get my breathing steady as at least five curses popped in my head. Not for the first time I sympathized with the Ravenclaws.

"What _is_ that?" I asked.

Three men (I supposed they were men) and two women stood still, casually standing as if they were too cool to care to pose for the picture. They didn't smile or look at each other, their stares blank. Their pale skin, dark clothes, and heavy makeup made it look like they were all horribly disguised corpses, robbed from their own funerals. The garments were adorned with chains and some accessories appeared to have been torn beyond repair.

I wondered what sort of torture these muggles engaged in.

"It's a muggle style, goth. I think it's so…attractive…don't you?" she asked, her voice uncertain at the end.

"It looks…silly," I said.

"Oh," she said in obvious disappointment.

For all of five seconds, there was glorious silence.

Too bad it wouldn't last.

"Oh my god, did you _see _Draco Malfoy at the platform? Mmmmmmm," she said and licked her lips. I think my eye twitched.

"Yes, I do believe I saw him," I said and removed the picture she'd stuck on my book, handing it back to her and attempted to resume reading.

"You're so lucky to be in the same House with him!"

"Mmm…" I said.

This time she wouldn't let me get away from answering so easily. "He's so cool, don't you think? Very attractive, and I hear he's really talented. Isn't it great to share a common room and stuff with him?"

I didn't respond to this as I knew how impossible it was. I had told her my thoughts on Malfoy more times than I cared to remember. _Yes._ Malfoy was decent looking. _No. _I didn't want to jump him. _No._ I felt no need to dream of snogging him. _No._ We barely talked to each other. _Yes. _He was talented at Potions and Transfiguration. _No_. He was not good at all subjects, especially ones that required quick reflexes or an ability to use empathy. _So no._ I did not think he was the most-awesome Seeker ever except maybe for Harry Potter who was _No _not the cutest boy in Gryffindor. _And definitely not_ was my answer to whether I wanted to date him as well as whether I would say yes if he ever took interest in anyone other than himself. Draco Malfoy was a snobbish, self-obsessed boy who had yet to show he could grow up after five years at Hogwarts.

"_Raven_," she said, swatting the book out of my hands.

My wand was in my hand without having called it from on top my suit case. My pure desire to curse her had called it to me. If I wasn't so angry I would have been proud of myself, I'd been practicing that trick all summer and just recently been able to call it without getting a massive headache. Whether you believed Potter/Dumbledore about the rise of you-know-who, or the Daily Prophet about "terrible accidents," I figured it was a skill that could come in handy.

Naturally Tara had the most ridiculous and frustrating reaction.

She squeeled, yes, literally.

"Oh that's SO COOL! You've got to teach me how to do that! Man, I wish I was in Slytherin," Tara said.

"Tara –" I said, then stopped myself from saying I could spend a thousand lifetimes teaching a witch as poor as her wandless magic (of any degree) and still fail. Instead I said, "Do not touch my stuff. I'm going to go sit Tracy, Theo, and Sophie. It will give you time to hang out with your other Hufflepuff friends."

"Oh, yeah…that's a good idea," Tara said, trying to sound cheerful.

We both knew that Tara didn't have any Hufflepuff friends, but she pretended she did and was sure she had convinced me of it. Grabbing my book from the floor and my suitcases from overhead, I headed down the hall. I could have left my stuff, but I had a sneaking suspicion that the book "Potions to Change Your Destiny" that I'd been missing since fourth year had mysteriously gotten into her hands on the last train ride. Truly, putting up with Tara from time to time was more than a social and mental hazard now. I sighed, at least I would be at Hogwarts soon, and she would be a Huffepuff (no matter how much she wished or thought she should be a Slytherin) and I a Slytherin and we wouldn't have much time to see her. Tara made me truly glad we lived in the dungeons, it wasn't exactly a comfortable place to sit waiting for someone to show up.

_She's just lonely_. I thought. _It's only a few hours a week…_

I knocked on the door to the compartment.

Sophie answered, her face flooding with relief. "Thank god, I swear if those two get any more…sickeningly sweet and close, we're going to have a new Slytherin in our dorm in nine months," Sophie said.

I laughed as I sat down. True to form, the new couple sat wrapped in each others arms but their clothes, despite Sophie's description, were completely on and unruffled. As if Tracey could look anything but perfect in whatever she wore with her flawless blonde curls and light blue eyes. Somehow, she always managed to make even Hogwarts robes look like a classy fashion statement. After four years of quietly longing for her, Theo had voiced his love, and, four months later, it was as if they'd never been anything but a couple.

"Where you been V?" Tracey asked, referring to my middle name, Venus. Last time she'd called me that I'd threatened to turn her into a ferret like Malfoy and thus the shortening of my ridiculous middle name. It could be worse though, I could have been given a pureblood name like Arcturus or Aquarius.

"Thought you needed time to study your non-essential books and make the rest of us Slytherins look bad. I swear you should have been a Ravenclaw girl," Tracey continued.

I rolled my eyes. "Knowledge is a form of power too Tracey. Not all of us can be born beautiful, sweet, and rich. And if you must know, I was interrupted by Tara."

A collective groan.

"I don't know how you put up with her," Sophie said.

"Megan says she has a shrine to you in her closet, right behind the one of Malfoy," Theo said.

"Poor Megan, I hear Tara tries to cling on to her when you're not around," Sophie added.

"Remind me to send her a sympathy card," I said and they laughed.

"Is she really that bad? I hear she spent five hours talking about Draco once and that if she could make a potion that wouldn't kill whatever it touched, she would make one for his undying love. I mean, how can anybody be that obsessed with him?" Tracey asked and then looked deeply into Theo's eyes. Sophie coughed uncomfortably as they gazed at each other for awhile.

"At least he doesn't have to put up with her. She wouldn't dare approach him," Sophie said. "She's too much of a coward for that."

"It's almost too bad," Theo said. "It would be nice if somebody annoyed Malfoy as much as he annoys most of us."

"Maybe there's something we can do about that," Tracey said.

There was a gleam in her eyes that promised mischief.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: It's been a long break in part because of college starting back up once again. Please read and review. Reviews are very good for morale which is good for chapter producing! So please, tell me what you think, good, bad, or ugly (hopefully this fic doesn't require ugly)._

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**Chapter Two**

The sorting that year produced fewer Slytherins than normal which we attributed mainly to a small group of Gryffindors we had saw traveling down the train warning everyone that Slytherin was the house where "evil people go." Leave it to the Gryffindors to ignore history and not use their heads at the same time. Already there was a plan to enlarge the perpetrators heads next week and make them resemble ogres. Being a Slytherin prefect gives you access to that sort of information, after all, we need to know where to patrol, and on that night, where not to.

Still, it wasn't really necessary for Draco to rant about it for forty minutes straight.

And of course, having a duty to make sure things flowed smoothly as prefects, we were assigned to sit in certain seats, seats that were across from each other. After the sixth or seventh rhetorical question about whether they thought they could get away with trashing our House and losing us students I decided that he would finally elicit a reply.

"I'm sure your father will hear about this Malfoy," I said dully.

While Draco had stopped saying it mid-way through our third year (finally standing on his own two feet and not the end of his father's robes) it was already well engraved into the mind of every Slytherin. Notably most wouldn't mention it to him, but most worshiped Malfoy or ignored him entirely. It wasn't a very smart thing to egg him needlessly, that sort of short-sighted attitude was for other houses. But sometimes one can only stand one nuisance a night.

"And what is that supposed to mean Harrison?" he asked menacingly.

I stared at his face calmly appraising his glare. It was better, much better this year. The eyes were cold, icey, in them you could see no false bravado, just the firm assurance of pain to come, pain you'd already promised yourself. His posture seemed to be leaning towards you but he somehow seemed withdrawn, intimidating and yet aloof, as if there was nothing you could do to harm him but you were in danger with him so near. Cold fire. That's what it was. I couldn't help admire it, he had been working on it some time.

"You know what it means, Draco," I said, my voice sounding bored. "If the Gryffindors want to frighten away first years let them. It likely means they weren't worthy of being in our House anyway, listening to the lies of others so easily and not having a brain for themselves."

Draco's glare lessened, his face becoming hard. I almost laughed as I recognized that he was appraising me just as I had him. I looked at him steadily though as I mused at how different this Draco was from the whiny impulse-driven child he was when he entered. Of course, he was still snobby and he had definitely proved himself still capable of being thoroughly annoying, but there was something I could respect about him now.

"I suppose you're right…Raven," he said grudgingly. "But perhaps it's smart not to get mouthy with fellow prefects. It might set a bad example."

I instantly felt ire but his look was at ease now, he smiled, or smirked at me, clearly trying to be humorous, an ally, not to taunt. Later this year we might be at each other like cats and dogs if our proximity and first year at Hogwarts were any indication but it would be stupid to make an enemy for no demanding reason.

I smirked, tilting my head. "Perhaps."

He winked at me and turned his attention to Goyle sitting beside me. Irritated at his arrogance, I opened my Transfiguration book again for lack of proper calm. It bothered me that he could get under my skin, most people couldn't. Even Tara generally only bred annoyance.

"Hey kid, you mind moving down there, that girl thinks you're cute and I'd hate for her to be disappointed," I heard Sophies voice from behind me.

The second year boy beside me looked at her with wide eyes and then looked down at the third year girl I sort-of recognized who waved towards the end of the table. Looking as pale as the ghosts floating about he quickly got up and went to sit by her.

I raised an eyebrow at Sophie.

"She owed me," Sophie said, taking the poor boy's seat. "So, I hear a certain Hufflepuff got a certain note from a certain minor friend in connection to a certain major crush."

"I think you need a thesaurus," I said.

"Aren't you interested in what the note said?"

"The certain note?" I asked but Sophie didn't dignify me with a response. "Do I want to know?"

"It offered help for her to attain affections of certain said someone who may be interested in getting to know her."

"And this is supposed to make our lives easier? What happens when she's pronouncing around in Rosette's Love Scents #212 and sitting at _our _table?" I asked. "Besides isn't that a little cruel?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to let it get out of hand, _prefect_."

I sighed. "This has nothing to do with me being a prefect and you know that. It's just a bit childish. But do you what you want, I suppose we all have to have our ways to cope, as long as I don't hear about it or take part in it, got it?"

Sophie huffed. "Fine, but you know, I think you're no fun anymore. And if Dumbledore's right about, well, everything, maybe we could use a little childish fun."

"Fun for you, not for her, not for me," I said.

"Wow, awfully righteous aren't we?" Sophie said but then she grinned. "Look, I'm sorry I mentioned it. You won't hear about it again, I promise."

I shrugged. Sometimes I questioned my friendship with Sophie but I had previously decided it was easier not to think on it.

"Well, I need to start gathering the first years soon. I'll see you later."

Knowing now what I do, perhaps I should have acted more like a Gryffindor. I should have stopped her.

* * *

_A.N. Yes, yes, not too original in plot at this point but the catalyst is needed for…well immortalization. This really just a chapter to get me writing it again. Trust me, this is not the whole "tricked her into going after him, she gets rejected, gets revenge scenario." Anyway, thanks for reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Everything seemed to run smoothly.

Of course everything in Slytherin always _seemed _to run smoothly. While most prefects kept (in general) to the unsaid code that upper-years could get away with rule-breaking as long as we were informed about it (and the goal wasn't incredibly stupid or dangerous), it didn't make life as a prefect easy. For one, we couldn't just let all the less experienced witches and wizards run amuck, or think that the elder students were to be ignored when they gave an order. Also, not all of them were quite as smart about it as they should be seeing as they were pre-teens with raging hormones (among other things). They were stupid and not as stealthy as they should be as a general rule with few exceptions. That tended to change, though the ones that never learned didn't get the advantage of the code. We were Slytherins, if we were going to break the rules were going to do it right, so to speak. It was almost a thing of pride.

But just because the first several years at Hogwarts weren't supposed to break rules, it didn't mean they didn't try or that they were always easy to catch. In truth, even an average Slytherin third year was better than any other house's upper-students at sneaking about though of course there were some exceptions. I had heard Harry Potter, for one, had snuck out successfully at least once for every one of his failed attempts, which was better than most. Still, getting caught fifty percent of the time was just not acceptable in Slytherin.

The third week in and Draco and I were officially assigned one of the more difficult locations to monitor and one of the more vital. As the newest prefects this was our test, to make sure no one snuck in or out of the dungeons (that wasn't pre-approved, and we hadn't heard of such a case) and that absolutely no one was to get into the Potion Master's storage. This was absolutely vital because if someone did that person was guaranteed to hate the rest of, well, forever. Snape was not a forgiving man and I knew if it came down to it, I would receive the blame for allowing the intruder by over Draco. While it wasn't as obvious as say, Lupin's affection for Harry Potter our third year, it was pretty well-known by now that Severus Snape was close to the Malfoy's, even if he didn't allow it to affect his work _openly_. Again, it was a thing of pride you see.

It was around 2 a.m. and Draco and I should have met up to confirm that there was nothing suspicious before we would notify the next prefect via badge that it was their shift. I had an exam the next day in Runes and I had no desire to be up all night so for once I was looking forward to seeing the well-to-do blonde boy. Except that Malfoy had yet to grace me with his presence. I gave him ten minutes, tapping my arm and wanting to give him an ear full before I decided to investigate.

The first place to look: Snape's private ingredients. I hadn't really planned on finding anything there, Draco included, but it had to be done. If there was a delay for a legitimate reason this or the entrance to the Slytherin common room were the two places to check first. There was also Snape's office but anyone dense enough to try to break in there was not going to make it out again without the help of Madam Pomfrey. Not that his ingredients weren't heavily guarded after the initial break-ins he'd had a year ago, but someone had already proved that they could and would break in there. It took priority.

I heard someone making noises that sounded an awful lot like purring combined with heavy breathing and I braced myself for whatever duo was lingering out of their dormitories. No one was supposed to be out tonight and whoever they were was about to have all my frustrations at my fellow prefect bent toward them. I did not, however, suspect one of them to _be_ Draco Malfoy.

But there he was, his ridiculously well-behaved blonde hair clearly visible. There was someone, and I had a good idea who that someone with the long dark hair was, pressed up against him, firmly pushing him into the wall. He had his large hands grasping her waist and I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my shock. It wasn't as if Draco snogging someone was something to be surprised about but this wasn't what I expected coming from Draco. Malfoy was dutiful. I had to give him that. From all that I had seen he upheld the standard expected by his parents as well as his godfather while at Hogwarts. He took every reprimand hard and there was a reason that he was rarely in trouble unless it involved Potter, who he had a ridiculous rivalry with. So to see him abandoning his prefect duties so blatantly on the first big job was more than irritating, it was almost…suspicious.

"Malfoy," I said, but it had no effect. Louder I said, "_Malfoy_."

This time the girl pressed her hand to Malfoy's chest and put some distance between the two. It was then that I caught the first glimpse of my fellow prefect's face. There was absolutely no shame, no guilt, no anger, just…confusion. I instantly pulled out my wand and raised it before the girl had the chance to turn around.

"Megan?" I asked, vaguely recognizing Tara's only "friend" from her own house.

"I…um…hello," the dark-haired Hufflepuff stumbled over her words. "Raven, I was just…I know this is inappropriate but –"

I narrowed my eyes and refused to lower my wand, whispering the spell to disarm her of any wand on her person, I got it without taking my eyes off her.

"_Inappropriate?"_ I asked, outraged at her attempt at falsehood. Regaining control of the emotion I continued, "Yes, I would say it's very inappropriate to take a person's will away to sneak into the potion ingredient's closet with whoever came down here with you. Tell me, are they inside or have they already snuck away?"

"I – I don't know what you're talking about," Megan said, her voice quavering.

I glanced at Draco who's face was still scrunched up in confusion, as if his life no longer made sense now that Megan's face wasn't buried in his.

"You know very well I what I mean and that I'm right. Tell me, imperious curse or love potion?" I asked.

I knew it wasn't an unforgivable curse but my bluff had the right effect on Megan who's mouth fell agape and when she seemed in command of it she shook her head frantically back and forth.

"No I would never! It's just a potion, totally temporary, it should wear off in a couple of minutes," Megan said, reached into her robes (which I allowed as there was enough distance and I already had her wand) and pulled out a vial. "Here, see?"

"Who made this for you and where are they now?" I asked, tucking the concoction in one of my robe's pockets.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," she said, back to pretending we weren't on the same page.

"And I thought we were past lying, tsk," I drawled.

"What makes you think _I _didn't make it?" Megan said, offended now.

"Come now Megan, I've had you in Potions before," I said. "So who was it?"

Megan outright refused to respond now.

"Right, well, I'll leave Professor Snape to question you then," I said and watched her turn green in the dimlit dungeon and I suppressed a smirk.

It was then that Draco seemed to be coming to. "I, Raven –" he said, sounding slightly vulnerable and still confused. Quickly though he cleared his throat and continued in his normal couldn't-care-less attitude that came so naturally to Slytherins, "Do you need me to retrieve Professor Snape?" Draco asked.

"No but can you check the storage room? I'm fairly certain the wards are down. From the sound of it, her conspirator is long gone but we still have to check before locking up and taking her to the Professor," I said.

He nodded and pulled out his wand. A few minutes later he came out and said, "Whoever she was with, she's gone now."

I nodded and Draco locked up, casting a few wards as I alerted the next prefect that it was her time to take the dungeon shift. Then we took Megan to Professor Snape's quarters in silence, broken only once by Draco hissing under his breath to the girl, "You'll regret this Hufflepuff. You'd better hope Professor Snape expels you." To which I heard the girl swallow loudly.

The next few minutes didn't get any better for the girl. The silent rage rolling off of the Professor had to be obvious, even to her. The first thing he asked for was the vial the girl had used and I gave it readily, the second thing he requested was for us to leave. The girl, wide-eyed, looked at Draco first and seeing she was getting nowhere with that she gave me her pleading look. I turned my eyes from her and back to the Professor, nodded curtly and said, "Good night professor."

Despite popular belief, Professor Snape didn't literally use torture to extract information or punish students. Even though most were sure he did, there were still people like Megan who, for whatever reason, were stupid enough to cross him. Draco and I began walking back to the Slytherin common room in silence.

Halfway there Draco cleared his throat to which I looked at him. He was pointedly glaring at the floor though which almost made me want to laugh. He looked enormously uncomfortable, like a pouting child who had just thrown a temper-tantrum. I looked ahead again and let him have his time to speak.

"I would appreciate if what just happened, the part involving me anyhow, did not get out, Harrison," Malfoy finally said, sounding much more cool than his expression showed.

"Of course not," I said easily.

Draco did look at me, this time glaring. I supposed he was attempting to see a double meaning in my words. "I mean it."

"I know you do," I said, now amused and trying to hide it.

Malfoy stopped in the corridor and turned himself to face me and give me the complete glare he had been working toward for over four years now. It was impressive but it didn't take away what I had seen moments before.

"If you say anything – " Draco began to threaten, his voice low, animalistic in sound.

"Are you trying to threaten me?" I asked, sounding amused. His look darkened. "And I thought we were going to be civil to each other this year Draco, what with being prefects and all."

"If being civil means never mentioning that wretched Hufflepuff again then yes," Draco spat.

"I did say I wasn't going to mention it didn't I?" still refusing to anger or be intimidated.

"Did you?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes and continued walking ahead of Draco. I didn't like my back being wide open for him though and I put my hand in my robes and took out my wand. Sure enough, a spell shot over my right shoulder, too wide a miss for me to believe that he hadn't done it on purpose but enough to get me to stop and turn back to him.

"I'm choosing to believe that you missed on purpose and that your aim hasn't resorted to that of a first year Hufflepuff, Malfoy," I said and then closing the distance between us by a few feet, finally getting irritated. I wasn't particularly fond of someone trying to maneuver me into a place of coercion. "But if you ever so much as aim your wand in my general direction again without due cause, then I will retaliate and I will _not_ miss."

We glared at each other in silence until finally I decided to do the bold and stupid thing. I put my wand in my pocket and closed the large gap between us.

"I'm not telling anyone, I'm better than that," I said. "Now shall we continue back?"

Draco stared at me, uncertain, before he too put his wand away and we continued on. "So blackmail then?" he asked darkly.

"No."

"Really?" he asked, clearly not believing me.

"Look, even if she weren't a Hufflepuff (and we both know their House would never let us live it down if this got out) I wouldn't say anything," I said.

"Why?"

"Because I know what it's like to have parents that expect too much of you," I said, wishing I had thought more before I decided to let that slip.

Draco scoffed, "I don't need your pity."

"You don't have it," I said crisply.

"Then what was that little sentimental speech about Harrison?"

"Some of us are capable of being human _some times_, Malfoy," I said. "I don't feel sorry for you. You have money, respect, and an intelligent mind. The world is at your fingertips without even having to try. But you do try, and you deserve better than some brainless lackey ruining that for you.

"Besides, we are prefects and regardless of our personal like or dislike of each other, we're supposed to work together. Her getting into that closet is as much my fault as it is yours. And despite that mistake, tomorrow we're still going to prefects, and the next year, and the next. Why would I make my life any more difficult than it has to be by holding something so stupid over your head?"

Malfoy laughed, "Ah, I get it now. So you like me?"

My fists curled and I thought briefly of taking out my wand. I took a second to let the anger dim but responded quickly, "Did I mention that your ego is bigger than the entirety of the Hogwarts grounds? Only you could listen to what I said and jump to that conclusion so quickly."

He laughed again but didn't say anything. I suddenly had the desire to tell the entire school how easily Malfoy had been captured by a love potion in the hands of a Hufflepuff just to wipe the stupid smirk off his face but sided against it. What I could do was discreetly ask to have my prefect shifts changed due to an insufferable git I shared a common room with.

When we finally reached the Slytherin dorm I fully intended on ending the night without having to say another word to egotistical blonde.

"Good night _Harrison_," Draco taunted and blew a kiss.

I muttered under my breath, my hand curled around my wand. The curse to tie his shoes together was simple, any first year could do it in the first week (well with the exception of Tara perhaps) but it would have a lot less damage control then letting what happened that night leak. He went toward the fifth year boys' sleeping quarters only to fall flat on his face despite his athletic grace.

"Good night, _Malfoy_," I said sweetly, exiting the room before he could decide how to retaliate.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

From that point on Draco went from being someone who I was learning to tolerate to someone I wished would drop off the face of the Earth. It wasn't as if I cared what he and his less-than-intelligent entourage thought, but even I could only take so much harassment. Apparently, for whatever reason, the rumor Malfoy had started about me liking him became quite popular not only in Slytherin but throughout the Houses. Unfortunately, this contributed to the careless decision that would possibly doom Hogwarts and the Wizarding World to a fate worse than the blonde-headed prat's comments.

Two weeks, and seven howlers from Malfoy-groupies later and I was at wit's end. It was also about the same time that Tara decided to thrust herself back into my life, while sitting not too far from Draco no less.

"So, I hear you like Draco Malfoy," she said in an annoying sing-song voice.

Loud snickering and outright laughter. Several heads turned now that would normally ignore Malfoy or non-substantiated rumors (about a prefect anyway).

"You're missing a few words from that sentence," I said.

"What?" Tara asked.

"I said your sentence is incorrect. What I would like is for Draco Malfoy's head on a pike. I would settle for seeing him publically tormented by ravenous ferrets. Either option would be acceptable," I said, making sure it was loud enough for Draco to catch easily but not so loud as to be obvious I was projecting.

Tara gasped loudly. "That's awful! How can you not _like_ him. He's so cute," she said and stared dreamily in his direction. Either the girl had no sense of embarrassment or she really didn't think anyone was listening.

At least that caused Draco to attempt to leave and look casual about doing it. If he wasn't aware of her obsession, he was now. _Well, at least there's one good thing about Tara: Malfoy-repellent._

"You can go right ahead and nab him if you want," I said, finally able to eat without Malfoy bothering me.

"I wish!" Tara said. "He'd never want me."

"You don't know that," I said and thought _but that's a good guess._

Tara beamed, "You think so?"

"I try not to think about what goes on in the hollow chasm that is Malfoy's cranium," I said and realized that she was not going to grasp that sentence. So I simplified, "I try not to think about what Malfoy thinks."

"Oh," Tara said. "Well I do."

"I know."

"Do you want to hang out?"

"I have prefect duty," I said. "And I have a lot of homework. When I find a hole in my schedule I'll tell you then. Sound ok?"

I had no plans of finding a hole. Ever.

"Great!" Tara said. "Well I have to go…do stuff…"

I should have pressed her because it was clear she was up to something but I figured it was something akin to adding objects to her Malfoy shrine so I nodded as she got up and left.

* * *

"I have to give you credit for _'a hollow chasm that is Malfoy's cranium'_," Draco said, a smirk on his face as we headed out to prefect duty. Apparently it was too late to have the pairings rearranged for the semester. "But really Raven, you don't need to try so hard to hide your undying love for me."

I literally gagged. Then I responded, "How did you know I even said that?"

He smiled and said, "I have my ways."

"Money does make things easier," I said.

He glared, "I have more than that."

"And a larger ego than is deserved."

"That's not all that's large," he said and winked.

I refused to dignify that with a response though the scathing cut-downs begged to be let loose on the boy. It was when we were about to part ways that he actually went to _caress my arm_.

The next thing he knew his arm was twisted hard behind his back and his face was pressed hard against the corridor's stone wall.

"I don't know what you think you're trying to prove,_ Malfoy_,but touch me again and I'll break your arm," I said.

And I had to give it to him, despite my hold, he somehow broke out of it and backed me against a wall. Leaning down over me I realized how tall he was as his palms slapped the wall on either side of my head. I pulled out my wand and raised it and he quickly slapped it out of my fingers and it clattered along the floor.

Which caused me to laugh. The whole thing was just so…silly and out of place for the intensity it had begun with. As soon as I laughed Draco actually smiled (not smirked for once) and it reached his eyes as he laughed back. It was almost as though we had both passed some sort of test though what that was I wasn't sure. Perhaps it was just the test to make sure we weren't going to kill each other, at least not tonight. He stood up straight and, to my surprise, retrieved my wand and handed it back to me.

"You're not so bad for a…" Draco began but stopped suddenly.

"A non-full-blooded-witch?" I asked.

My family had pure blood running through it heavily, but we were not without muggles and half-bloods, even if it was several generations back.

"Yes," he said, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Well, you're not so awful when you're smiling," I said.

"Or when you're laughing," Draco said.

"Oh look, a real compliment," I said. "I knew you could do it."

Draco rolled his eyes but said nothing and we continued on our route a bit before breaking off for our separate patrols in silence.

When we met up at the end of our shifts Draco was smirking again.

"What now?" I asked.

"Just thinking," Draco said.

"Should I congratulate on your new-found ability?"

"Do you have to be so defensive?"

"Do you have to be so offensive?" I countered. I sighed. "This is stupid. We don't have to like or even talk to each other but this arguing is getting childish."

"Really? I enjoyed it," Draco said and then closed some distance so that we were walking closer together. His arm wasn't touching mine, perhaps because of what had happened the last time he touched me.

"You would," I said. "You enjoy watching people squirm. It's what your good at. It's what your father was good at before you."

He stopped and I refused to look back or stop walking. I knew it was a low blow but it was true and I was tired of being the butt of all his new jokes. I didn't want him fake-flirting, or to get any more howlers (and yes there hard been one more since dinner sent already), and I didn't want his buddies snickering everywhere I went. There was only so much I could pretend not to care about.

"I was trying to be nice to you," he said, his voice void of emotion.

I finally turned. "You have an odd way of showing it Draco Malfoy. I could deal with you before. Sure, you were annoying, especially when it was "my father this" and "my father that." To top off the jerk-meter you also openly bullied students, making Slytherins look like every stereotype the other houses want to see.

"Just because you've grown up a little in the last five years doesn't change the facts though. You're still a manipulative boy who likes to feel as though you are so much better than everyone else. Now because of a _stupid rumor_ that _you_ started, I am constantly harassed. I can deal with living in obscurity, in fact, I _enjoyed _it.

"And now for whatever reason, after starting a false rumor about my supposed feelings for you (which are all negative by the way) you feel the gross need to play with me. What does your fake flirting accomplish? More fuel for the fire? You could just make something up, no one believes me at this point anyway," I finished, breathing heavy.

"Kept that in for a long time?" Draco asked coolly.

I didn't respond.

"You didn't live in obscurity," Draco finally spoke again. "Everyone knew who you were, even before you became a prefect. Seemingly without much effort your marks rival Hermione Granger and without being nearly as obnoxious as she is about it."

"Aside from that," I said and then waved my hand as if to brush off the half-compliment. "And after all that, _that's_ what you pick out?"

"Yes," Draco said. Then after more tense silence, "A couple of weeks ago you said you understood what it was like to be me, to know this pressure."

"I didn't quite say that," I interrupted.

Draco gave me a stern look, as if to make sure I wouldn't keep stopping him. "I didn't believe you then and you've proved I shouldn't."

"Understanding something and condoning it are two different things Draco," I said, my voice gentler than before. "I can understand why you behave the way you do. That doesn't make it right."

Draco nodded.

"Look, we have to work together. I know there's no reason for you to do so but I would ask that you stop fanning the flames of this rumor you created about me. Personally? I could care less what everyone thought, but howlers are annoying and I'd like to retain some credit for the next three years," I said.

"You're wrong," Draco said.

"What?"

"You're wrong. You do care what people think, even if you try to hide it. You've put a great amount of effort in appearing to be aloof but knowledgeable. You work at least as hard as Granger for same grades and less recognition. The one friend who isn't too busy snogging, annoys you and is beneath you to be friends with. You pretend to be hard, to not care about what people are thinking or feeling and yet you're always aware of it. That girl…that Hufflepuff is terribly annoying and you don't have to put up with her but you do because you're all she has and as obnoxious as she is you can't find the _heart_ to tell her to shove off.

"Also, you do have something against me, the kiss, but you didn't mention it because you wouldn't use it unless you absolutely had to," Draco said as he closed the distance between us. "You're not the only one who can accurately assess a person. I just don't usually bother."

I was surprised and unnerved by his insight. "Then why bother now?" When he didn't respond straight away I added, "And please don't use some cliché response like "because you're different.""

Draco laughed. "I won't."

"Are you going to answer?" I asked.

"Maybe, when I've made sure that I've accurately sized up the situation first," Draco said.

"What is that supposed to mean? Since when do you talk in riddles?"

"Is this less of a riddle?"

Draco Malfoy cut off the rest of the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Before I react, his arms wrapped around my lower back, keeping me in place. When I did get over the initial shock my body and mind agreed on one thing: get Draco Malfoy as _far_ away from me as possible.

Really, what the git thought he was doing was beyond me. Just because I decided to try getting along with him didn't mean I had those sorts of inclinations toward him. We could still barely stand each other. Was he really that egotistical to think that my annoyance with him was so easily overcome? Did he seriously believe I had _romantic feelings_ for _him_?

I tried pulling back, wiggling out of his arms, but before I could put any space between us a light flashed and I felt anger and fear spike. I finally shoved hard against Draco with the palms of my hands, stumbling back a few paces. I glared hard at him but all he did was smirk and I was too angry to come up with any words to properly express my absolute loathing of him.

"How adorable," said a female voice, dripping with disdain. Pansy Parkinson. She looked at him, smiling sweetly as she held something up, a photo. "This what you wanted Draco?

He nodded and smirked at me. "Thanks Pans."

"No problem."

"_You…"_ I said as my anger intensified.

I didn't need to ask why, but he felt the need to explain. "Now look what I have, _Raven._ If you ever feel any inclination to talk about the Hufflepuff-incident, this might just accidentally slip into the wrong hands. 'She just came at me, girl's completely obsessed.' Truly nobody would believe a word from your mouth then. After all, a scorned girl in love can be the most vindictive," Draco said.

My wand was in my hand completely on impulse. Draco and Pansy's wands were quickly drawn too and I knew there was no hope of retrieving the photo without a fight, one which I'd probably lose.

"_Why,_" I said, so angry it took me awhile to finish the sentence, "why would you think that I would tell anyone. After all you have put me through don't you think if I had wanted to tell I would have done it before _now?"_

"It's nothing personal, Harrison. Just collateral. I'm sure you understand," Draco said, smirking.

Pansy walked up to him, put her arm around his shoulders and laughed as the two finished the short walk to the Common Room. I leaned against the wall, exhausted. For the first time I wished that I had been put in any other House. Especially if Draco Malfoy weren't in it with me.

* * *

By the next morning I didn't hate Draco any less than the night before. However, I had decided not to worry too much about the photo. He said it was collateral, and while every other word out of his mouth seemed to be a lie, I did believe he wasn't going to let it slip out until he needed it to.

I should have known better.

I befell three attempts at trapping me into a curse and a howler before lunch. In the middle of Transfigurations with the Gryffindors I received the an angry owl that somehow managed to get past McGonagall and flew straight at my face, dropping a letter in my hands before veering to the side quickly.

"_YOU STUPID - "_ and then it went off to insult me with a bunch of not-so creative curse words.

When it incinerated a picture fell onto my desk, and I would have been more horrified if it weren't for the fact that by this time I had assumed Draco had decided it was best to discredit me now. In it the only thing was clear was that my our lips were touching. We kept moving but the way the picture was taken it was impossible to see that I was the one trying to free myself not Draco. You couldn't see my expression at all, just Malfoy looking shocked, his eyes wide open. I had shut mine so tight they had hurt so I hadn't seen what he had looked like. At the bottom of the photograph cursive lettering wrote out continuously: _Girl Gone Wild._ And then _Raven Harrison attacks Draco. _At the top somebody had written in their own ink "you suck!"

I really wished Hogwarts was ok with students murdering fellow students.

"Why is I can't at least get someone sending me these with better vocabulary?" I muttered as I slowly ripped the picture and put it in my bag. The entire class stared at me.

"Raven Harrison," McGonagall called.

I looked up, hoping that the Professor couldn't honestly believe I had wanted or arranged to receive a Howler in the middle of class. "Yes, professor?" I said, glad that my practiced voice revealed no emotion.

"Please see me after class," she said with no indication of why (though I was pretty sure I had a good idea).

When McGonagall forced the students attention back to her I was suddenly very glad that it was in her class I'd had the misfortune of receiving the thing. When the class was over I walked to the front of the room.

"Miss Harrison," she said, and indicated that I should sit down across the desk from her as she took her seat as well.

"Yes, Professor?" I said.

"It seems that…you are going through some personal dilemma?" she asked.

I couldn't help it, I snorted. "I guess you could say that."

"Have you talked to your Head of House about this?" she continued.

I felt myself actually blush at the thought of trying to talk to _Professor Snape_ about this. That was not a conversation I wanted to find myself in. Ever.

"No, professor," I said. Before she could begin anything else I said, "I'm sorry for what happened today and this isn't…isn't what it seems. I would talk to our Head of House if I believed there was anything he could do for the situation. As it is…what's done is done."

Professor McGonagall took a moment to think about this. "Perhaps you're right. However, if you ever feel the need to talk to one of us, feel free to do so. We know you are all far from home. And we too were once teens," she said and gave me a smile that made me want to blush again. Luckily I didn't.

"Professor, I believe you have this all wrong (though you do have the story going about). I do not have any _positive_ feelings for Draco Malfoy. This is nothing more than attempt to discredit me, to ruin my reputation. And that he has now done," I said. "There's nothing left to talk about or be done."

The woman eyed me for a moment, tucking the couple of hairs that had dared fall from her bun behind her ears. She then adjusted her glasses. "I see," she said and sighed. "Still, the offer remains to speak with us, for whatever reasons."

"Thank you," I said, nodding.

"You may go Miss Harrison," she said.

I made it to lunch with no more incidents, though everyone was staring at me. I blatantly ignored them, burying my nose in my Advanced Potions book (which I had already read) as if I were imitating Hermione Granger.

When I got into the Hall and took a seat I looked up from my book briefly to see my three friends standing close by, doing their best to look anywhere but me. Slowly they passed the spots around me and sat at the far end of the table, closest to the Professor's area. I looked back down and clenched my teeth, trying to pretend like this was one more blow I could take. Trying to pretend I didn't want to rush from the room and cry alone in the bathroom stalls like Moaning Myrtle or a homesick first-year.

No one sat around me at lunch. I barely looked up from my book as I forced myself to eat at the same pace I always did, as if I couldn't hear everyone around me talking about the photo. As if I still had any dignity. Despite my best efforts, I wasn't that hungry and forced down the bear minimum I could manage without seeming obvious. I decided that maybe from now on I'd be too busy to eat lunch.

I wasn't sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate that I had no more classes the rest of the day. I went back to the Slytherin's Common Room in the Dungeons, wishing I were headed for the Hogwart's Express.

The room hushed as I walked through it, the normally subtle Slytherins having given up all sense of normalcy. When I left it was as if the interruption had never occurred. I went to my room, sat on my bed and drew the curtains around me. Lying straight back I clenched my hands into fists and tried my best not to cry for the first time in years.

I couldn't stop thinking about it though. As soon as the first tear slowly dared fall I replaced the despair with the only thing that would fill it: rage. How dare Draco Malfoy do this to me? How dare he ruin what I had worked so hard to accomplish for the last five years. How dare he take the one place I excelled and turn it into a living cell. How dare he.

* * *

Two days passed and things didn't get easier. Sophie, Tracey and Theo continued to be the only people to pretend to be unaware of my existence. I was told that my prefect schedule would be able to be changed after all, as I had previously requested. The news was as welcome as it was embarrassing. The students talked of me as rumors flew, as if this piece of news was bigger (for a time) than Harry Potter, The Daily Prophet, or the Ministry interfering at Hogwarts. Even the professors didn't call on me and the ones that dared look upon me only had pity in their eyes.

I still went to class, I still did the homework, I still did my patrols, I even still went to all the meals I regularly attended. I felt like the only person acting normal in all of Hogwarts. I ignored Draco in class, as if he were no more interesting than the stones beneath my feet. The rumors had to die eventually without fuel…didn't they?

The third day was when Tara (who had apparently not left her room since news broke as I found out later) came storming into the Great Hall.

Her short potion-dyed black hair was crazy around her head reminding me almost of Harry Potter. Dark makeup was streaked down her face (revealing it to be of muggle-make) making her eyes look bigger than they were, even more wild than her expression. She bent over me in what I could only guess was supposed to be a threatening manner.

Unlike everyone else, I couldn't ignore her because she had grabbed my shoulder hard and I had been forced to turn around on the bench to face her. I folded my arms over my chest and took on an emotionless expression.

"Yes, Tara?" I asked. I didn't have time for her. I had my own problems going on.

"Why? How? How could you do this? I thought we were friends! You betrayed me! I didn't really believe it when they all said the rumors were true about you liking him but they WERE! You know how I feel about him! You said you were ok with it, that I could have him! You lied to me!" Tara shrieked.

I suddenly wondered if one of the Howlers (or more than one) had belonged to her.

"I don't like him. I hate him. I would pray that a Dementor suck his soul right out of him if I thought he _had_ one. Regardless, I do not answer to _you._ You are being childish and obnoxious, _neither_ of which is new for you but right now I will _not_ tolerate it. I have enough problems without you coming to whine to me for once. We were never friends, Tara. Never. Now if you please, go back to _your_ table with _your_ fellow House-mates so we can pretend that the other does not exist in _peace_," I said, never raising my voice, but the anger was prevalent and at times so harsh that I almost hissed the words at her.

It wasn't fair to Tara. I had wanted to tell her to leave me alone for years but she had never known that, never suspected. I was taking out my anger and pain at her and it wasn't right, I know that now. But right then, right then I just couldn't care because the Great Hall had gone so silent that I didn't doubt that even the Gryffindors on the opposite side heard every word I said. If I had hoped the talk of Draco and I would fade soon, I knew it wasn't possible now.

Tara cried and ran from the room. I turned back around and began eating, the Hall slowly began to fill up with noise again.


	6. Chapter 6 Halloween

**Chapter Six**

_Halloween_

Three weeks later, and the night before Halloween, I was on prefect duty when I caught her. The smell of lilac tipped me off because I knew that exact scent from all the times Sophie had sprayed herself with it in my presence. It was faint but I knew. I instantly dispelled her illusion charms and disarmed her.

"Sophie," I greeted without emotion.

"Raven? I…didn't see you there," she said, giving a big grin as if she hadn't disowned me.

"Apparently," I said, not amused. "Perhaps next time you choose to go sneaking around the castle you should take a bath first."

"Good advice," she agreed readily. "But before you turn me in to Professor Snape, I would argue that you should let me go."

"And why, perchance, would I do that?" I asked, bored.

"Tara embarrassed you the other, day, remember?" Sophie asked.

"I remember many things," I said, narrowing my eyes on her. "Draco falsely accusing me of liking his worthless self, my supposed friends bailing on me and my not-so-stellar reputation, and having a personal talk with _McGonagall. _Those things were embarrassing. Tara was just being her normal irritable self."

"But you were embarrassed. And what if I said that by letting me go that by tomorrow everyone will have forgotten about Draco and your…um…situation? What if it was Draco and Tara's turn to be embarrassed?" Sophie said.

"I doubt whatever your plan is will make this situation better," I said.

"Not better, but not nearly as popular," Sophie said. "Look, you don't have to believe me. All you have to do is look the other way. By tomorrow night, you'll know whether I was telling the truth. If I wasn't, well, so Slytherin gets to keep a few house points. Win-win. You can't tell me you don't want to get back at him."

I glared at her. "I don't want anything to do with this."

"And you won't have. Just look the other way, Raven, just this once. You won't regret it," Sophie said.

I didn't believe her, but I also didn't want to fight about anything else. I was exhausted from the last several days and if there was a chance that Draco would get a taste of his own medicine, then so be it. I tossed her wand back to her and continued down the corridor.

"You won't regret this," she whispered after me once more.

I would regret it for a long time to come.

* * *

That year, likely due to all the "accidents", Hogwarts decided to try having a party after the Halloween Feast. I normally detested such things but I was one of the lucky prefects assigned to make sure that nothing got too out of hand. So I had a view of the major event that would set the course for the unraveling of Hogwarts as I knew it.

Most students were dressed up and having a good time. I was leaning against the wall wondering how long the Professors expected the thing to go on. They had even brought in some local wizarding band I had never heard of but seemed to be pretty well received.

Luckily, most people knew to give the glaring prefect a wide berth (as if they wouldn't anyway now that I was the laughing stock of Hogwarts). Unfortunately, the very last person in the world I ever wanted to see managed to totally disregard his common sense and lean back against the wall just to my right.

"Hello again, _Raven_," Draco said.

"Surprised to see you so close to me considering my history of attacking you," I said calmly (as if I weren't thinking of fifty different curses I wished to cast on him right there).

"I know it's a risk," he said, laughing. "But I think I can defend myself."

"I'm surprised someone as popular as you are now would need to know how to defend himself," I replied.

"There are always those lunatics out there you have to watch out for," Draco said.

"Right," I said and decided I just couldn't stand him anymore. I headed toward the main door, not sure whether I was trying to just lose the blonde prat or vacate the party entirely. At that moment I could care less about being a prefect.

Draco had apparently followed me and grabbed my shoulder from behind and I turned and swatted his hand away as I said, "Get lost, Malfoy."

"If I recall last time you begged me to stick around," Malfoy said, smirking.

"Oh yes, I definitely begged you to stay after you blackmailed me," I said.

"Didn't seem to bother you a few days ago," he said.

"What are you talking about? Has your head finally gotten so big it's imploded?" I asked.

"Don't pretend like you don't remember," Draco said and went touch my face.

I backed up. "Don't you dare touch me. What's wrong with you? We're in public. Coming onto me here isn't going to earn you any blackmail."

"I know we're in public. I thought this is what _you_ wanted," he said, glaring. "Two days ago."

"I didn't even speak to you two days ago," I said. "I haven't had the displeasure of talking to you since the same night you decided you'd rather be my enemy than my ally."

"Is this revenge, then?" Draco sneered. "Get me to actually want someone like _you_ and then pretend it never happened?"

"Want me? _Me_?" I asked and shook my head. I took a deep breath, already having a bad feeling about the whole thing. "_Listen carefully, _I have not talked to you in a long time. I have not wanted to and if I wished to get back at you it wouldn't involve me torturing myself in the process, which is what pretending to like you would be. I'm not lying, Malfoy. I am the only one who has never pretended that there was something between us that there wasn't."

Draco stared at me a long time, expressionless before finally saying, "You're telling the truth."

"Yes," I said. "Now, if you'll excuse me –"

I turned to leave the increasingly confusing situation but as I did Draco caught my arm, and I turned, sighing loudly enough for him to hear it, even with all the noise.

"If it wasn't you, who was it?" Draco asked.

"If what wasn't me, Malfoy?"

Draco looked at me a long time before saying, "You don't know. You don't know anything about it."

"About what?" I asked.

Before he could respond I heard a voice magnified greatly coming from the band's area which was so loud it drew everyone's attention.

"Hello everyone!" Tara said excitedly to dead silence. "I just wanted to say how happy I am with my new boyfriend, Draco Malfoy! I love you Draco, this one is dedicated to you!"

She handed the microphone back to the lead singer and pulled out a little box. She opened it and above us all glowed memories bright and clear above the entire audience. The band began to play, completely unaware of the oddity that had just become Hogwart's Great Hall because above us all were vivid memories of Draco and Tara in loving embraces.

I heard a string of low expletives leave Malfoy's mouth. His face was even paler than normal, his jaw set hard. I looked at Tara who had seen me, even from this distance I could see she wasn't happy to see her supposed new boyfriend standing beside the girl who "betrayed" her. I looked up again at the ceiling. The pictures were getting a little more vivid, nothing too intimate, but even I became embarrassed for Draco. I lifted my wand and pointed it at the display, whispering a spell. Fog came from my wand, going straight above and spreading out, obscuring it all from view. I wasn't particularly talented at charms and I could only hope the spell lasted long enough that the show ended first.

Draco looked at me and I couldn't tell what he was thinking, what he was feeling. I lowered my wand slowly, wondering how this would all play out.

Malfoy seemed unable to move or speak so I was the one who noticed Tara storming over, the box in her hand, now firmly shut. Tara shoved the box at Draco who grabbed it, still apparently not able to react to anything, and without another word, tackled me to the ground.

I felt all the air in my lungs whoosh out of me. Having never gotten into a non-magical altercation before I was slower to react then I should have been, even after I remembered how to breathe. I had managed to keep a hold of my wand during the fall but before I had recovered Tara had slammed my arm down several times, causing me to drop it. With that out of the way she began slapping me and I put my hands up to defend my face and tried to pull up my knees to shake her off but her boney legs were thrust so hard into mine that I couldn't manage it.

"How dare you come near him? You ruined it! I planned this and you ruined it! My moment! How could you, you stupid boyfriend-stealing bitch," she said as she tried to claw my face with her fingernails.

"Off! Get off of me! Are you crazy?" I asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" she asked as she aimed a hard fist to my gut. She was stronger than she looked.

Gasping for air I said, "Maybe because you jump and attack people like a maniac?"

I heard someone laugh or choke, I wasn't sure which. Apparently angered by this Tara went to punch me hard in the throat but this time I was able to catch her fist just before it met its target and thrust it aside, catching my chin a little. She then tried to slap me with her other hand but I caught it too. Finally getting the hang of it I jerked my hips hard right and threw her hands that way as well. It caused her to lose balance and fall off me and I quickly rolled left and away from her. Breathing hard and more than a little sore from the surprise attack I turned to look at her just in time to see her diving for me a few feet away.

Before her dive could connect (likely doing some serious damage to my person in the process), someone had cast the petrification spell on her and she fell hard on the floor. I looked up and saw none other than Harry Potter. I sighed in relief, stood up, and then went to retrieve my wand. Draco was nowhere to be seen.

"Thanks," I said to Harry who smiled at me.

It was at that time Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick managed to make their way past the thick crowd that had formed around us. McGonagall had Draco in tow, her hand around his arm, apparently having caught him on his way to fleeing the scene. His face was positively stony.

"To my office, all three of you. Professor," McGonagall said and then looked at Flitwick, "could you retrieve their heads of House as well?"

"Of course," he said.

And with that we were all marched to McGonagall's office for a long and embarrassing set of conversations.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Apparently our problem was too big to be kept in McGongall's office, and we were rerouted for the Headmaster's. Professor Snape arrived at Dumbledore's office about the same time we did. Dumbledore waved his arm at the couch in front of his desk, "Take a seat you three."

Draco, who had been stoic until then, looked a little paler than normal. Tara glared at me then reached for Draco's hand who instantly flinched away, his mouth twisting in disgust. She huffed and sat at the right end, furthest from Snape's position. As gracefully and quickly as I could I sat on the opposite end. I refused to look at Draco as he sat down in the middle.

Dumbledore tried his best to appear stern as we all took a seat but it wasn't hard to see his amusement as McGonagall described the situation. Or Snape's lack of amusement. Or Tara's outrage. Draco sat unmoving, almost as if he were made of stone.

Just as McGonagall finished the short description of what had happened as far as she understood Pomona Sprout came in, huffing as she did and giving Tara a disapproving look. The situation was went over once again and Professor Snape looked off in agitation.

"So what do you have to say for yourself young lady?" Professor Sprout asked before anyone could beat her to it.

"Me? Me! It was all her fault! If she hadn't - " Tara began, attempting to reach over Draco to grab my robes.

Draco finally stopped impersonating a gargoyle and recoiled from her back on to me and I glared hard at Dumbledore's desk, wondering when my life had become a comedy. Or a tragedy. I wasn't sure yet. I would have pretended to have some dignity, being shoved against the end of the long couch by the boy who I hated most in the world, but Draco had taken care of that weeks ago.

"Enough," Professor Snape cut in.

Tara froze and then folded her arms over herself and pouted like a child. Draco straightened up but was not sitting much closer to me than before. I sighed and went back to studying Dumbledore's desk like it was some mystical artifact. I suppose I figured if I pretended I wasn't there hard enough, maybe I wouldn't be.

"Headmaster," Professor Snape said, "Is it really necessary we are all here to work out this...teenage drama?"

"It is to our advantage to take an interest in out students, especially in these difficult times," Dumbledore replied mildly.

Snape apparently thought about as much of that concept as I did, or any self-respecting Slytherin for that matter. Pomona Spout however, just nodded enthusiastically in agreement. Finally Snape sighed heavily and then leveled his eyes on Draco and me, clearly blaming his two fifth year prefects for his current predicament, as if we wanted to be here.

"Very well," he drawled as if it pained him. "Explain yourselves. Draco when did you...get involved with Tara?"

I almost could have laughed at the look of pain on Snape's face when he asked that. I wasn't sure if it was because he had to ask, because his godson had such poor tastes in women, or both.

"I didn't," Draco said curtly.

"What?" Tara practically yelled. "You can't -"

"Tara, pull yourself together!" Sprout said.

"Everyone will get their turn," McGonagall said, looking directly at me.

Snape sighed and didn't repeat his question, just looked at Draco. Elaborate quickly his look said. Or maybe I wish I could throw you all in the dungeons, the torture part. It was hard to be sure.

"I did not get involved with Tara," Draco repeated.

"Then why was she under the impression you did?" McGonagall asked.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Draco drawled, sounding so much like Snape I was almost impressed.

"We all saw the...uh...evidence," Sprout continued.

"It isn't what it seems," was all Draco would give.

"Tara?" Sprout asked.

"We've been together for weeks! Ever since I asked him to walk with me in the Forest. Remember, we kissed under that tree? Remember?!" Tara practically yelled.

Draco looked vaguely green.

"Draco?" Snape drew.

"I...remember it quite differently," he finally said.

"How "differently?"" McGongall continued.

"It...I..." Draco really did look like he was going to be sick before he straightened, looking resolute. "I was under the impression she was someone else."

"Someone else? How so? Who?" Sprout continued.

Draco fixed his gaze on the back of the room. "To me she looked and acted like a fellow Slytherin."

Me. He wasn't going to say it but that's what he meant. The way he acted at the dance, what he said, it finally fit as well into the jagged puzzle as it could.

"Tara, did you...fool Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall asked, sounding disbelieving to Draco's credit.

"No!" Tara said, but she sounded unsure. "I never pretended to be anyone I wasn't. Who did you think I was? Who?"

Draco didn't deign the question with a response.

"Did you take a polyjuice potion or alter your appearence?" Dumbledore asked.

"No." Still uncertain.

"Did anyone give you a potion or charm to help you romantically per chance?" the Headmaster continued, as if he knew the answer already.

"I...yes...a potion," Tara said and quickly continued, "but I was still me! She told me it would help me be more appealing, more confident. I wasn't doing anything wrong."

"Perhaps not," Dumbledore said kindly. "But it is never wise to fool the object of one's affection."

"Who gave you this...concoction?" Snape asked, asking the important question.

"I...I don't know. She said she was a friend," Tara said, darting a look at me.

All eyes turned to me.

"Did you know about any of this, Raven?" McGonagall asked.

"No."

"You knew nothing of any of this?" Sprout repeated, disbelieving.

"That's right," I said, unphased by her doubt, looking at Dumbledore's desk still.

"You didn't help make this...potion?" she continued.

The seed of anger finally sprouted and I took an extra second to avoid saying something unwise. "No, I knew nothing about it and had no hand in making it or aiding the person that did," I said slowly.

"And you have no idea who did make it?" she asked.

I thought of Sophie, the anger growing. No, I wouldn't turn her over. I wanted to deal with her myself.

"No," I said.

"When the display played tonight, you blocked the spell? Why?" Sprout asked and I really wanted to shake the woman.

I looked at Draco briefly before fixing a stare on her. "I felt sorry for him," I said and shrugged.

"I thought you didn't care for Malfoy, knew nothing of the situation. Why would you -" Sprout began.

"Pomona," McGongall cut in to her interrogation.

I looked at Professor Snape and saw that at least the one person in the room that mattered believed me.

"I didn't know about Draco or Tara or the concoction. We're in the same House, we're prefects, personal opinions aside, I could tell the whole thing wasn't what he thought it was and I couldn't bring myself to believe that he'd suddenly developed an interest in the giggly girl on stage," I said.

"You bitch - " Tara began.

"Ms. Smith!" Sprout exclaimed.

I looked at Draco again, the faintest hint of redness on his cheeks, though it was hard to tell if it were anger or embarrassment that put it there. I looked away lazily.

I looked straight at all of the Professor's slowly, before settling on my Head of House. "And if it were me, I'd want someone on my side. I wouldn't have wanted to be put through...that. Someone was playing the bully."

After six years I was fairly sure I had seen the multiple impressive facial expressions Professor Snape possessed but as I spoke his face changed in a way hard to describe. Belief and disbelief clear on his face. His normally guarded look seemed oddly open, honest. He blinked and it was gone.

Dumbledore beamed at me and I was instantly distrustful as to why. He had always struck me as one prone to flights of fancy. He was probably using the word "honorable" to describe me, the fairly obscure Slytherin before him, and to him that was a Gryffindor trait. I could almost see him picturing a school all in red and gold robes. I looked at McGongall quickly whose smile was much less uncomfortable to observe, she nodded at me in approval or belief. I looked at Sprout who looked doubtful but subdued.

I didn't look at Draco. I wanted to leave. Let the lovebirds sort it out now.

"Do you have any of the potion you took left?" Dumbledore asked Tara.

"A little."

"Well then, I think we have reached the bottom of this mystery. Snape will escort you to your dormitory and you will retrieve it for him. If any of you would like to discuss this further, our doors are always open," Professor Dumbledore said.

Snape's face said otherwise.


End file.
